"Please don't shift the goalposts"- Ravi Shastri's advice to ICC after India reach WTC final
India's head coach Ravi Shastri talked about how unfair it was for his team to reach the final of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) because of the changed qualification rules. Shastri added that his team had to 'dig deep' to earn their place in the summit clash.
India were comfortably leading the points table in the WTC around October last year. However, ICC introduced a percentage system in November, as various tours got disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the revised standings, India fell to the third spot, and they had to ensure series wins in Australia and England to secure their spot in the WTC final.
Ravi Shastri was unhappy with this 'shifting of the goalpost' by the ICC. But he accepted that the modified points system in the WTC came about because of the global pandemic situation.
"Please don't shift the goalposts (On what advice he will give to the ICC for the next WTC). I'm sitting at home in November during COVID time. You have got more points than any other team in the world—360 at that time. Suddenly a week later, without playing cricket, there's suddenly a rule that comes where they are going to go on the percentage system, where we went from no.1 to no.3 in a week. Fine, that's because of countries not wanting teams to travel (because of COVID). All acceptable." the former all-rounder said in a virtual press conference.
Nevertheless, Shastri said that India were felt hard done by the sudden rule change, saying in this regard:
"I want to understand the logic behind this. I have two tours left, sitting on top of the table, leading by 60-70 points. They said you have to go to Australia and beat Australia. How many teams in 100 years or last ten years have gone to Australia and beat Australia? We were sitting on top of the table with 360 points. With the percentage system, we had to go to Australia and beat Australia. If you don't beat Australia and beat England 4-0, you get 500 points and still don't qualify."
The Indian coach said that their resources were stretched, but his side managed to come out triumphant.
"So we had to dig deep; we have had to go down every hole to find water. We found it, and we earned our right to be in the final of the WTC, the biggest trophy in the world, with 520 points." concluded Ravi Shastri.
Ravichandran Ashwin reacts to India reaching the WTC final
India's star performer in the England series, Ravichandran Ashwin said that for Test specialists like him, Chetehswar Pujara and others, the WTC is like a World Cup final, as they don't play white-ball cricket.
"For people like Puji (Cheteshwar Pujara), me, Jinks (Ajinkya Rahane), Ishant - a lot of us who didn’t play the 2019 World Cup; it is literally the World Cup, to go there for the final. I am so happy for all of them. I am sure we will get a positive result if we adapt quickly because it is just one match we will have as a final. It would have been nicer if we had three. But we will live with it and give it our best shot."
India will lock horns with New Zealand in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s from June 18 to 22